Methods and apparatus for lacing yarn masses by strings



June 6, 1967 SHIGERU HAYASHI 3,

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS Filed Dec. 25,1964 4 Sheets-Sheet l June 6, 1967 r SHIGERU HAYASHI 3,

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS Filed Dec. 23,1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 June 6, 1967 SHIGERU HAYASHI 3,323,189

METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS Filed Dec. 25,1964 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 June 6 1967 SHIGERU HAYASHI METHODS AND APPARATUSFOR LACING YARN MASSES BY STRINGS 4 Sheets-Sheet Filed Dec.

FIG. 9

United States Patent The present invention relates to methods andapparatus for lacing a yarn mass or skein by a string.

In forming yarns into the shape of a skein, it is generally necessary tosuitably lace the skein by a string in order to avoid the skein formingyarns from entangling with one another. Hitherto, the lacing operationhas required prodigious efifort because the operation has utilized tomanual means. In the prior operation, a lacing string is passed througha skein, for example, in a OOQ-like manner or an a OO-like manner, andthen both ends of the lacing string are pulled together at one side ofeach skein and tied together thereat.

This operation has required much labor and time since the lacing stringmust completely be pierced through the skein and also both ends of thelacing string must be tied together by manual means. As a result, theoperating efficiency of reeling is remarkably low, generally of theorder of 40 to 50%, and has caused a great bottleneck in the factories.

Therefore, the primary object of the present invention is to provide anovel method of and apparatus for mechanically and continuouslyeffecting the lacing operation on the yarn mass, especially skeins, forthereby greatly reducing the labor involved in the operation.

The term yarn mass used in the present invention is to be understood todenote a mass of parallel juxtaposed spun yarns or filaments, whichincludes skeins, warping threads used in weaving operation, warpingthreads used in warping operation, and the like. However, for theconvenience of explanation, the present invention will be described withregard to skeins.

According to the present invention, there is provided a method of lacinga yarn mass by a string for separably gripping the sections of said yarnmass by said lacing string, comprising the steps of disposing saidlacing string in tension below said yarn mass at substantially rightangles with respect to the length of said yarn mass, cans ing verticallyswinging movement of a needle having an openable latch-hook orbearded-hook at its lower end for thereby engaging the hook with saidlacing string and drawing said lacing string upwardly, then drawing saidlacing string in the horizontal direction to form a loop on said lacingstring, and repeating the loop-forming opera tion to separably grip thesections of said yarn mass in the loops of said string.

According to the present invention, there is also provided an apparatusfor lacing a yarn mass by a string for separably gripping the sectionsof said yarn mass by said lacing string, comprising means for disposingsaid lacing string in tension at substantially right angle with respectto the length of said yarn mass, a needle having an openable latch-hookor bearded-hook, a driving shaft, first means for converting the rotarymovement of said driving shaft into vertically swinging movement of saidneedle for thereby causing said hook to engage said lacing string and todraw said lacing string upwardly to form a loop on said lacing string,said means being operative to repeat the loop-forming operation by saidhook to provide successive loops on said lacing string, and second meansalso driven by said driving shaft for carrying the entire apparatus in adirection at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn mass,said first and second means being alternately operated to continuouslyeffect the lacing operation on successive yarn masses.

Other objects and particularities of the present invention which willbecome obvious from the following description with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic front view of part of a skein on which lacingoperation has been effected according to a prior known method;

FIG. 2 is a schematic front view of part of a skein on which a lacingoperation has been effected according to the method of the presentinvention;

FIGS. 3a, 3b, 3c and 3d are schematic explanatory views showing thesteps of lacing operation on a skein by the method according to thepresent invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic front view similar to FIG. 3b, but showing a casein which a loop-forming aid is arranged to facilitate the lacingoperation according to the present invention;

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of an embodiment of an apparatus topractice the method of the present invention;

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a composite intermittent gear employedin the apparatus of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a front elevational view of a second embodiment of theapparatus according to the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of a means for disposing the lacing stringin tension along a reeling machine; and

FIG. 9 is a diagrammatic view illustrating the manner in which a hollowloop, when the lacing string is cut at either point in FIG. 2, forms theso-called knot.

The method according to the present invention will now be described withreference to the drawings. In FIG. 2 there is shown a skein 1 to whichthe lacing operation according to the invention has been made by the useof a lacing string 2. Chain lines A and B therein indicate the points atwhich the lacing string 2 may be cut to separate the skein 1 fromadjacent skeins (not shown).

FIGS. 3a through 3d are explanatory views showing the manner of lacingoperation according to the invention. A lacing string 2 is positioned intension along the entire width of a reeling machine at a position atwhich the lacing operation is effected on the reeling machine. Thelacing string 2 may be coiled in the form of a cheese or cone so thatthe string 2 can successively be supplied as required towards thereeling machine. When it is desired to effect the lacing at more thantwo different points on a single skein, lacing strings of correspondingnumber may be disposed in tension at positions opposite the desiredpoints. Before starting the lacing operation, it is necessary to form aninitial loop 4 on the starting end of the lacing string 2 as shown inFIG. 3w. Then, as shown in FIG. 3b, a needle 3 having an openablelatchhook or bearded-hook is moved downwardly to be passed through theloop 4 to hook a portion of the lacing string 2 therebelow. Then, theneedle 3 is moved upwardly to form a new loop as shown in FIG. 3c. Theabove-described operation is further repeated to form at least two loopsat the outside of the skein 1 as shown in FIG. 3d. Then, the needle 3 isforced into the skein 1 and the same operation is repeated to hold skeinsections in separate loops to thereby bind the skein. sections by theloops. After the above operation, the needle 3 proceeds to the oppositeside of the skein 1 to repeat the loop-forming action to provide morethan two hollow loops. Subsequently, the needle 3 proceeds to start theloop-forming action for a next skein 1. The. relation between the skein1 and the lacing string 2 after all of the above-described operations isas shown in FIG. 2 in which the skein 1 is separated into two sections.

Although FIG. 2 shows the case of separating the skein into twosections, it may readily be understood that separation of the skein intomore than three sections can easily be attained by suitably adjustingthe intervals of repetition of the lacing operation. In order toseparate a series of skeins 1 joined together by the lacing string 2from one another, the lacing string 2 must be severed. But, this iseasily done by merely severing the loops at a point intermediate betweentwo adjacent skeins 1f Points A and B in FIG. 2 show the points ofsevering in such case. The lacing string 2 would not separate bysevering the string at these points provided that there are more than atleast two loops on each side of the skein 1. When the lacing string 2 iscut at a cutting point (A or B), the cut ends of the lacing string 2present the state as shown in FIG. 9 and the two hollow loops on eachside of the cutting point form knots respectively. This is because thelacing string 2 is displaced by a tension applied to the string due tothe movement of the needle relative to the string so that the hollowloops not holding therein the skein sections are fastened toform knotsjust like stitches in knitted goods. In order to insure firm knots onthe lacing string 2, there must be more than at least two loops on eachside of the skein 1 and best results can be obtained with the smallestpossible loops. It may be convenient for the easy formation of theinitial loop 4 to provide a reciprocable loop-forming aid 5 forcooperation with the lacing string 2 as shown in FIG. 4.

The present invention relates to a method of effecting the lacingoperation on a skein by mechanical means in which one or a plurality ofstrings are passed in tension below the skein and means for causingvertical move ment of a needle is associated with means for causingintermittent movement of apparatus in a direction of the path of thelacing string which is at right angles with the skein.

It will be understood that, although the inventive method has beendescribed in the above with regard to the case of the lacing operationon a skein, the method can also be applied, for example, to lacing of ayarn mass wound about the beam of a warping machine in the warpingoperation with the machine.

A preferred embodiment of an apparatus for practising the inventivemethod will hereinunder be described. FIG. 5 represents a view for thepurpose of explaining the mechanism of the apparatus, which view istaken in a direction at right angles with respect to a plane formed bythe skeins. Therefore, the skeins 1 are shown in section in FIG. 5.Reference numeral 2 designates a lacing string which is passed intension below the skeins 1 at right angles therewith. Numeral 6designates a driving shaft of the apparatus which may be driven by anelectric motor or by hand. Mounted on the driving shaft 6 is a compositegear 7 which is formed of integrally secured two gears 7a and 7b eachhaving thereon intermittently cut tooth portions, as best shown in FIG.6. The combination of the gears 7a and 7b forming the composite gear 7is such that a toothed portion of one of the gears is opposed by -anon-toothed portion of the other gear and the toothed portionsalternately exist on either of the two gears.

The gear 7a meshes with a gear 8 on a shaft 9 to rotate a crank or cam10. A needle 3 is connected with the crank or cam 10 and is slidablysupported by a supportingmember 11 so that rotation of the crank or cam10 causes vertical and lateral movement of the needle 3 about thesupporting member 11. In its downward and lateral movement, the needle 3engages the lacing string 2 with its hook and draws the string upwardlyin its upward movement to form a loop. The other gear 7b of thecomposite gear 7 is in meshing engagement with a gear 12 on a shaft 13to rotate a pinion 15 through a bevel gear 14 to thereby cause leftwardmovement of the apparatus on a fixed rack 16, a distance slightlygreater 4 than the width of the yarn mass divided by an integer largerthan 1.

Or more precisely, while the needle 3 is drawing up the lacing string 2by the rotation of the composite gear 7, the gear 12 is not rotating andthe apparatus remains unmoved at a definite position. At the completionof one operating cycle of the needle 3, the gear 12 is rotated totransfer the apparatus to a next predetermined position. When both thegear 8 meshing with the gear 7a and the gear 12 meshing with the gear 7btake the positions at which these gears are opposed by the non-toothedportions of the composite gear, these gears 8 and 12 may race. In orderto avoid such racing, suitable brake means must be provided. In theapparatus of the invention, double block type frictional brakes as at 17are provided on the shafts 9 and 13. However, any other known means maybe employed in lieu of the frictional brakes 17 illustrated in FIG. 5.Further, ordinary gears may be employed in place of the composite gear 7to alternately cause the movement of the needle 3 and the advancingmovement of the apparatus and the gears 8 and 12 may be alternatelyslided to be disengaged from the driving gears on the driving shaft soas to interrupt the drive.

A second embodiment according to the present invention is shown in FIG.7. In FIG. 7, a needle 3, intermittent gear 7a, crank or cam 10, member11 for swingably supporting the needle 3, gear 8, shaft 9 and drivingshaft 6 are entirely similar tothose shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 and arearranged to perform a similar operation. In the second embodiment, theadvancing movement of the apparatus is caused by a cam instead of therack and pinion system employed in the first embodiment of FIG. 5. InFIG. 7, a cylindrical cam 18 having a cam groove 19 is integrallysecured on the shaft 6. Projections or pins 20 are provided on a rail 22and are arrangedto fit in the cam groove 19 of the cylindrical cam 18.The apparatus is mounted on wheels 21 which run on the rail 22.

The camgroove 19 is cut in a manner to provide suit able coactionbetween the gear 7a, that is, the pin 20 runs in the portions of thegroove 19 parallel with the side face of the cam 18 while the gear 7ameshes with the gear 8, and the pin 20 runs in the portions of thegroove 19 an angle with the side face of the cam 18 while the gear 7adoes not engage with the gear 8 so as to cause the apparatus to travel arequired distance. The required distance of travel may vary depending onthe required number of sections of the skein for example, splitting ofthe skein into two sections, three sections, or more sections.Cylindrical cams of various groove shapes are provided to deal with avariety of lacing operations. Since the pin 20 provided on the fixedrail 22 fits in the cam groove 19, the apparatus intermittently travelsas the driving shaft 6 rotates. Since the cam groove 19 is so cut as tocoact with the intermitten gear 7a, the pin 20 is in the portion of thegroove 19 parallel with the side face of the cam 18 while the needle 3actuated by the intermittent gear 7a is drawing the lacing string 2upwardly. Therefore, the apparatus remains unmoved at a definiteposition. After the needle 3 has completed its one operation cycle, thepin 20 is now in the obliquely running portion of the cam groove 19 andthus the apparatus travels to a next predetermined position.

FIG. 8 shows means for disposing the lacing string in tension below askein in the apparatus of the present invention. In FIG. 8, the skein isillustrated by reference numeral 33. A sprocket 24 is journa'lled in abearing 31 fitted to each end of a reel rod 23 forming part of thereeling machine, and on one of the sprockets 24, there is coaxiallymounted a clutch element 27. An endless chain 31 is passed about thesprockets 24 and is provided with a clamp 26 for clamping the end of alacing string 2 therein. The sprockets 24, bearings 31, clutch element27, chain 30 and clamp 26 may be provided on each reel rod 23, or onevery other or every third reel rods 23.

A toothed clutch element 28 coaxial with a handle 29 is provided formeshing engagement with the clutch element 27. Further, a tension washer32 is provided to impart tension to the lacing string 2. After thereeling operation of the skein 33 on the reeling machine, the lacingstring 2 is clamped by the clamp 26 and the clutch element 28 is engagedwith the clutch element 27. Then by turning the handle 29, the lacingstring 2 is advanced under tension leftwardly in FIG. 8. The clamp 26advancing in the leftward direction while drawing the lacing string 2clamped therein is shown as at A and the clamp 26 having finished itslacing string drawing operation is shown as at B. When, the lacingoperation on one position on the skein 33 has been completed, it isnecessary to effect a further lacing operation on another position onthe skein 33, and the handle 29 may be turned in the opposite directionto cause movement of the clamp 26 in the rightward direction in FIG. 8until the clamp 26 takes the position at the righthand side extremity inFIG. 8. Then, the lacing string 2 clamped in the clamp 26 is releasedfrom the clamp 26, and the clutch element 28 is disengaged from theclutch element 27. The reeling machine is then rotated to a position atwhich another lacing operation is to be effected, and the clutch element27 on the fresh reel rod 23 is engaged with the clutch element 27thereon. The operation thereafter is entirely the same as the aboveoperation.

Although in the foregoing description preferred embodiments of thepresent invention have been explained with reference to the accompanyingdrawings, it will be understood that the invention is in no Way limitedto such specific embodiments and various modifications and changes inthe structure may be made without departing from the spirit of thepresent invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of lacing yarn masses arranged in equally spaced relation inwhich the respective yarn masses are gripped separately from each otherwhile they are held integral as a whole, the method comprising disposinga lacing string under tension below said yarn masses at substantiallyright angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses, alternatelyswinging a needle having an openable hook vertically and horizontally tothereby form at least two small hollow loops of said lacing string atone side of a first of said yarn masses, piercing said needle throughthe latter yarn mass to form a desired number of large loops of saidlacing string and then forming at least two small hollow loops adjacentsaid latter yarn mass opposite the initially formed small hollow loops,continuously carrying out the above lacing operations on all of saidyarn masses, and severing a small loop at the middle between adjacentyarn masses.

2. Apparatus for lacing yarn masses arranged in equally spaced relationfor gripping the respective yarn masses separately from each other toform sections while they are held integral as a Whole, said apparatuscomprising means for disposing a lacing string in tension below saidyarn masses at substantially right angles with respect to the length ofsaid yarn masses, a driven composite intermittent gear including gearmembers which are coaxially mounted and each of which has non-toothedportions thereon, respective driven gears driven by said gear memheldintegral as a whole, said apparatus comprising means here, saidnon-tooth portions of the gear members being arranged thereon such thatboth gear members will be out of mesh with said driven gearssimultaneously, a crank coaxial with said driven gear, a rocking needleoperatively connected to said crank and including an end portion with anopenable hook, a bevel gear coaxial with said driven gear, a drivenbevel gear adapted to mesh with said bevel gear, a pinion coaxial withsaid driven bevel gear and a fixed rack adapted to mesh with said pinionand disposed at right angles with respect to the length of said yarnmasses, the teeth of said composite intermittent gear being cut in sucha manner that the number of teeth in one of the toothed portions of oneof said intermittent gear members is such as to cause said crank to makeone complete turn, while the number of teeth in the toothed portions ofthe other said intermittent gear member is such as to cause the entireapparatus to be moved by Way of said fixed rack and said pinion in adirection at right angles with respect to the length of said yarn massesby a distance slightly greater than the width of each yarn mass dividedby an integer larger than 1 when said hook is located inside of theWidth of said yarn mass and by a desirably small distance when said hookis located outside said yarn mass, the total number of teeth provided onsaid other gear member being such as to cause the entire apparatus to bemoved, upon rotation of said gear member for a complete turn divided byan integer, in a direction at right angles with respect to the length ofsaid yarn masses by a distance equal to the distance between the centerlines of adjacent yarn masses.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for disposing saidlacing string in tension at substantially right angles with respect tothe length of said yarn mass comprises a sprocket adapted for beingmounted on each end of the reel rod of a reeling machine, an endlesschain passed about said sprocket for endless movement, a clamp providedon said endless chain for clamping the end of said lacing stringtherein, and means including a clutch for causing the movement of saidchain.

4. Apparatus for lacing yarn masses arranged in equally spaced relationfor gripping the respective yarn masses separately from each other toform sections while they are held integral as a whole, said apparatuscomprising means for disposing a lacing string in tension below saidyarn masses at substantially right angles with respect to the length ofsaid yarn masses, a driven intermittent gear, a driven gear adapted tomesh with said intermittent gear, a crank coaxial with said driven gear,a rocking needle operatively connected to said crank and including anend portion with an openable hook, a cylindrical cam mounted on saiddriving shaft and having a peripheral surface with successive grooveportions extending at an angle and extending parallel with the side faceof said cam, and a fixed projection provided on a line extending atright angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses for constants-lidable engagement with said groove portions in the cylindrical cam,said groove portions which extend at an angle relative to the side faceof said cylindrical cam being arranged so as to engage with said fixedprojection only when said toothed portions of the intermittent gear arenot in engagement with said driven gear, the teeth of said intermittentgear being cut in such a manner that the number of the teeth in each ofsaid toothed portions is such as to cause said crank to make onecomplete turn for each revolution of the intermittent gear, thedistances at which said groove portions which. are inclined with respectto the side face of said cylindrical cam being such as to cause theentire apparatus to be moved by said fixed projection in a direction atright angles with respect to the length of said yarn masses by adistance slightly greater than the width of said yarn mass divided by aninteger larger than 1 when said hook is located inside of the width ofsaid yarn mass and. by a desirably small distance when said hook islocated outside of said yarn mass, the total length of said grooveportions extending axially of said cylindrical cam being such as tocause the entire apparatus to be moved, upon one complete turn of saidcylindrical cam, in a direction at right angles with respect to thelength of said yarn masses by a distance equal to the distance betweenthe center lines of adjacent yarn masses multiplied by an integer.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4 in which said means for disposing saidlacing string in tension at substantially right angles with respect tothe length of said yarn mass comprises a sprocket adapted for beingmounted on each end of the reel rod of a reeling machine, an endlesschain passed about said sprocket for endless movement, a clamp providedon said endless chain for clamping the end of r 7 8 said lacing stringtherein, and means including a clutch FOREIGN PATENTS for causing themovement Of said chain. 41 529 1910 Franca 266,326 10/1913 Germany.

References Cited 272,509 4/1914 Germany.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 5 26,452 10/1906 Great Britain.

1,938,586 12/1933 Gatelyet a1 28-21 2 2,603,852 7/1952 Fleischer 28 21MERVIN STBINJHIMIYExamine!- 2,736,084 2/ 1956 Fleischer 28--21 R.FELDBAUM, Assistant Examiner.

1. A METHOD OF LACING YARN MASSES ARRANGED IN EQUALLY SPACED RELATION IN WHICH THE RESPECTIVE YARN MASSES ARE GRIPPED SEPARATELY FROM EACH OTHER WHILE THEY ARE HELD INTEGRAL AS A WHOLE, THE METHOD COMPRISING DISPOSING A LACING STRING UNDER TENSION BELOW SAID YARN MASSES AT SUBSTANTIALLY RIGHT ANGLES WITH RESPECT TO THE LENGTH OF SAID YARN MASSES, ALTERNATELY SWINGING A NEEDLE HAVING AN OPENABLE HOOK VERTICALLY AND HORIZONTALLY TO THEREBY FROM AT LEAST TWO SMALL HOLLOW LOOPS OF SAID LACING STRING AT ONE SIDE OF A FIRST OF SAID YARN MASSES, PIERCING SAID NEEDLE THROUGH THE LATTER YARN MASS TO FORM A DESIRED NUMBER OF LARGE LOOPS OF SAID LACING STRING AND THEN FORMING AT LEAST TWO SMALL HOLLOW LOOPS ADJACENT SAID LATTER YARN MASS OPPOSITE THE INITIALLY FORMED SMALL HOLLOW LOOPS, CONTINUOUSLY CARRYING OUT THE ABOVE LACING OPERATIONS ON ALL OF SAID YARN MASSES, AND SEVERING A SMALL LOOP AT THE MIDDLE BETWEEN ADJACENT YARN MASSES. 